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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Book Review–Awakening: A New Approach to Faith, Fasting, and Spiritual Freedom

OVERVIEW: Stop hitting the spiritual snooze button. Would you describe your walk with God as fresh and exciting? Would you describe your spiritual life as vibrant and passionate? If not, would you like these attributes to be the norm in your everyday relationship with God? Are you ready to experience an awakening? Awakening helps you stir up your slumbering soul. Yours"ll discover how to break out of your season of dryness or get off to a great start either in the New Year or the next season in life. Take your faith-walk from a "going through the motions" or "have to" mindset to the stimulating, fresh "want to" experience of enjoying God’s presence-24/7. Weems encourages you to surrender fully, to discover the right kind of fuel for the journey, and to learn a new way to pray and fast. This lifestyle is not based on rules or religion, but on a deep, satisfying, motivating relationship with God. Included in Awakening is a 21-Day Plan that will guide you through the principles that ensure a lasting, fresh relationship with God-even in a world where everything quickly becomes stale. "It’s time to wake up and put an end to spiritual sluggishness! I promise this year will be the best of your life if it is your best year spiritually." Stovall Weems

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK: This is not a “technical” book when it comes to prayer and fasting, which makes it a very easy read. If a person were so inclined to do this 21-day fast, I believe the section at the end would be a big help in assisting you with that plan. I believe chapter five, dealing with the subject, “God is a Filler, not a Forcer,” may have been its best. I was challenged and encouraged to “make more space” in my life for God.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK: I am always skeptical about something “new” when it comes to the Bible and faith, and I believe my skepticism was warranted here. The author tries to make a very big distinction from how fasting is practiced in the Old Testament and the New Testament, but I still do not see that big of a difference. In my opinion, the author tried too hard to make fasting seem “easy,” when it is not. Fasting is still a sacrifice, and I just don’t believe that it is something that you can cut corners on. At the end of each chapter there was an “Awakening Story,” and these stories revealed some red flags to me: such as the condoning of “social drinking,” and speaking in tongues.

OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: While there are some good thoughts and ideas that you can glean from this book, I just cannot give it a recommendation at this time.While I do believe fasting is a biblical practice that is far too often ignored, making it simpler is not the way to go. There are no shortcuts when it comes to our relationship with the Lord.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review